So, they were just clumsily reenacting the demon-slaying in the Dead Man’s Forest?
That acting, that script, those lines...
Forget it, the sentiment is what matters.
On the stage, the Plague Rat had already scurried off, and Hong Ling and Shitou quickly made their exits.
The scenery changed.
It transformed from a desolate forest into the likeness of a dilapidated small city.
Several buildings made of paper stood on the stage, their walls painted with mottled marks to look like they had been in disrepair for years.
Jian Huaishuang led a group of sword sect disciples onto the stage.
They all wore large bamboo hats and sword robes, with long swords hanging from their waists, walking with steady steps.
Chen Zhou had not seen this attire in a long time.
With a stern face, Jian Huaishuang walked to the center of the stage, then looked up and recited a poem expressionlessly.
"In the Heavens lies the White Jade Capital, with twelve towers and five cities."
"The immortal strokes my crown, binding my hair to grant longevity."
After finishing, Jian Huaishuang added quite reluctantly, "We respectfully invite the White Jade Immortal!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the sword sect disciples simultaneously removed their bamboo hats, revealing faces made of paper.
At the same time, above the stage, a massive paper ball slowly took shape.
The paper ball grew larger and more hideous until it finally transformed into a giant paper face, looking down at the audience.
Chen Zhou heard the people around him discussing excitedly.
"That is exactly how it was!"
"I was in White Jade City, I can testify to that!"
"That old ghost pretended to be an immortal and wanted to eat our entire city."
"If the Lord had not arrived in time, the old ghost would have devoured every last one of us."
"I was there that day. I was so scared I wet my pants, thinking I was definitely finished!"
"But then the Lord came, and with a single fire, he burned that old ghost to ashes."
A woman beside them nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, I was there too."
"I was holding my child, listening to the ghosts howling all around us, thinking we were certainly going to die!"
"We owe it all to our Lord!"
Chen Zhou listened to these discussions as he watched the paper ball on the stage suddenly get crushed.
"Bang!"
Scraps of paper drifted down through the air, fluttering like a heavy snowstorm.
A deep voice echoed from all directions.
"Remember, next time, if there is something mortals cannot achieve, try asking the gods for help."
Jian Huaishuang's body shuddered as he dropped to one knee.
The group of sword sect disciples also knelt in unison.
They knelt amidst the falling paper scraps, beneath that voice, remaining perfectly still.
"Welcome, Godly Venerable!"
Chen Zhou's scalp tingled as he listened.
Even if they were his own words, there was no need to repeat them in front of so many people.
It was a bit embarrassing.
On the stage, Jian Huaishuang stood up.
He faced the audience, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally landing on Chen Zhou.
"On that day, the Godly Venerable descended upon White Jade City."
"He slew the false immortal and saved ten thousand citizens."
"We have no way to repay him, except to use our bodies and our swords to follow him for all eternity."
He spoke very slowly and earnestly.
The crowd below joined in the cheer.
"Follow for all eternity!"
"Follow for all eternity!"
Chen Zhou: "..."
Fine, fine, I get it.
Stop shouting.
On the stage, Jian Huaishuang had already led the sword sect disciples off.
The scenery changed once more.
A massive city appeared on the stage, built with finely painted paper models where even the plaque on the city gate was clearly visible.
Three characters were written on the plaque.
City of the Wrongfully Dead.
Lu Cheng, Zhang Cuigu, and others walked onto the stage one by one.
They wore coarse cloth tunics and held tools in their hands—hammers, chisels, saws, and everything else.
Lu Cheng stood on the stage, picked up a hammer, and tapped a wooden board a few times.
Zhang Cuigu rolled up her sleeves and worked hard at the ground while several other craftsmen busied themselves.
The audience below understood immediately.
This was a reenactment of the city's construction.
Sure enough, after tapping a few times, Lu Cheng stopped.
He straightened his back, wiped his sweat, looked toward the audience, and grinned.
"Lord, what should we name our city?"
Then, another voice rang out.
"From now on, this city shall be the City of the Wrongfully Dead."
"City of the Wrongfully Dead, Life from Death."
The people on stage knelt down, and the audience below followed suit with a loud cry.
"City of the Wrongfully Dead, Life from Death!"
The voices were perfectly synchronized, echoing through the night sky.
Chen Zhou sat in his chair, looking at the devout faces on and off the stage, feeling an indescribable emotion in his heart.
Next, the paper people from the Corpse Soul Sect took the stage.
They wore paper armor, held paper weapons, and marched across the stage in an orderly formation.
Then came Piao, who lay straight on the ground and shouted.
"I am the Locust Mother! I have been suppressed!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Then Zen Master Ku Chan led the family heads of Lantao City onto the stage.
They performed a scene depicting the plague of dreamwalking and human-face sores under the ghost night.
"Yes, yes, that is exactly how it was!"
"I also had human-face sores, it hurt like death!"
"It was only because the Godly Venerable stepped in that we were saved!"
Several family heads collapsed on the stage cooperatively, twisting in pain.
Then the little pig took the stage.
It reluctantly acted as Bodhisattva Jieyin, waddling onto the stage while swaying its head.
Then, it was sent flying by an invisible force with a slap.
"Oink!"
The little pig did a somersault in the air and landed steadily off the stage.
The audience doubled over with laughter.
Next, Su Xue led Golden Toad, Poison-Wing, and Poison Pheasant onto the stage to recreate the events of the Southern Region.
Poison-Wing played himself, standing on the stage with a stern face while being surrounded by a group of small demons shouting for his blood.
Su Xue played herself, standing gently to the side and healing the injured small demons.
Golden Toad played the Toad Saint, squatting on the stage and croaking twice.
Then Poison-Wing was carried off by a group of small demons to indicate, "I surrender."
Another round of cheers rose from the crowd.
Next, Wu Gou played the Ksitigarbha of Great Vows, sitting cross-legged on a lotus platform.
Huo Dou played the Moon-Swallowing Wolf Saint, howling on the stage.
The two of them went through the motions of a casual skirmish before being slain by the collective effort of everyone on stage.
The war in the Northern Region was settled.
Finally, it was the Provincial Capital.
The battle with the judge.
Everyone took the stage.
Bai and Xiaoye led a group of Yin soldiers back and forth on the stage, representing Black and White Impermanence suppressing ten thousand ghosts.
Jian Huaishuang, the Plague Rat, Piao, Su Xue, Poison-Wing, Wu Gou, Wu Hai, the little pig, Huo Dou, Shitou, Hong Ling...
One after another, they stepped onto the stage, took their positions, and struck combat poses.
Below the stage, the commoners discussed fervently.
The cheers rose wave after wave, making the entire plaza tremble.
Listening to these discussions, Chen Zhou could not help but feel deeply moved.
So much time had passed.
So many things had happened.
He looked at the familiar faces on the stage and the nameless commoners below.
From being alone at the very beginning to now, he was surrounded by countless people willing to die for him.
On the stage, everyone knelt down in unison.
Below, the entire crowd followed suit.
Everyone shouted together.
"We respectfully invite the Godly Venerable!"
"We respectfully invite the Godly Venerable!"
Chen Zhou smiled.
He flew up from his Nine-Skull Throne and landed upon the stage.
Everyone looked up, their eyes burning with intense devotion as they gazed at him.
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